The Road To Pikes Peak – The Build

In approximately 11 months, Woolie is aiming to enter the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and give the mountain a shot. No wild expectations, just head up to Colorado and get to know The Mountain and make it to the summit.

And come home.

Its been on Michael Woolaway’s Bucket List for quite a while, and the circumstances are coming together and a goal has been set. It will take a large amount of physical, mental, and mechanical preparation to get there, squeezed between working on customer Deus builds here at the 1001 Venice Blvd workshop, but Woolie is determined.

THE BIKE is the first order of business.

Woolie started with a stock 2014 Ducati Hypermotard with 95hp and weighing in at 435lbs.

The lower oxygen levels at elevation cause a significant power loss towards the top of the mountain, so Woolie’s focus was set on optimizing power-to-weight ratio. For increasing power, he went with a 200hp 1198RS motor and for reducing weight he trimmed 88lbs by removing and replacing the factory trim with minimal carbon fiber bits, a hand-shaped aluminum fuel cell, and carbon fiber wheels by BST. Close attention was paid to the PPIHC rulebook to make sure everything is race compliant when it comes time to pass the tech inspection on the mountain.

The bike now weighs in at 347lbs wet and with a full 2.5 gallon gas tank. To present this in Layman’s Terms, in stock form each horsepower was responsible for moving 4.7 pounds of motorcycle. Now, each horsepower produced by the 1198RS motor is responsible for propelling only 1.7 pounds of motorcycle. With nearly 3 times the power-to-weight ratio of the stock Ducati Hypermotard, there will be ample Umph on tap when the bike is gasping for air at 14,000ft.

Feeding the motor as much air as possible is important, especially when there isn’t much oxygen up there, so Woolie shaped some distinct one-off Ram Air intake plumbing that surrounds the front number plate that was then molded in carbon fiber by Paul Taylor of Taylor Made Racing in Van Nuys, California.

The side winglets came from an F1 race car spoiler and produce downforce to help the front tire stick to the ground. This will be beneficial in the climb as traction in the tires is compromised by cold temperatures and changes in tire pressure due to lower atmospheric pressure at high altitude.

To dress it up, all the carbon fiber pieces were given the royal treatment with a red candy coat, complimenting the Ducati red frame. To honor its racing purpose, the aluminum tank was left raw and unpainted to welcome the nicks and dings that will surely come its way.